The historic Sholakia Eidgah of the district hosted the country’s biggest congregation of Eid-ul-Azha on Wednesday.
Over 1 lakh devotees from almost all parts of the country joined the 186th congregation of Eid-ul-Azha despite overnight heavy rainfall and muddy venue.
Chairman of Islahul Muslimeen Council and secretary general of Jamaat-e-Ulema Maulana M Fariduddin Masud conducted the Eid Jamaat held at 9:10am.
A munajat was held after the Eid congregation seeking divine peace for the mankind, country’s progress and the unity of the Muslim ummah.
The first Eid congregation on this ground was held in 1828 when a local Dewan, Sayeed Ahmed (R) of Haibatnagar Dewan Bari of the town, conducted Eid Jamaat on one of the fields of his own ‘Taluk’ (revenue zone). This later became known in history as the Sholakia Eidgah.
The name ‘Sholakia’ comes from Shoa Lakh, meaning ‘one lakh twenty-five thousand’ being the number of people that had come to offer their Eid prayers at the Eidgah.
The surrounding area was also named Sholakia afterwards. Later, another Dewan, Mannan Dad Khan, gave 4.35 acres of land for the Eidgah in 1950. However, according to sources, the Sholakia Eidgah now has about 7 acres of land.
The Eidgah stands on the bank of the Narosunda River and is known throughout the continent for the large number of devotees who come here every year for saying their Eid prayers.
There are about 265 rows, each of which can accommodate 500 devotees at the Eidgah. So, the entire field can accommodate some 132,500 devotees.
But over 3 lakh devotees offer Eid-ul-Fitr prayers here using the nearby roads, open spaces and courtyards of surrounding houses.
The number of devotees in the Eid-ul-Azha congregation decreases by almost 50 percent.
Sholakia Eidgah has an executive committee of 51 members with the Deputy Commissioner (DC) being its ex-officio president.
Source: UNBConnect
